Darkus Knightley is an unusual 13-year-old. He is an extremely astute detective, and inherently logical, with a penchant for tweed. Much of this was inspired by his dad, Alan Knightley, who had been London’s finest private eye.
Due to an unfortunate turn of events four years ago, Alan slipped into a coma. Though his mom remarried, Darkus visits his comatose dad regularly and is very much a chip off the old block as he has spent the past four years honing his investigating skills by reading his dad’s past case files. Determined to find out about the forces behind his dad’s present plight, Darkus, along with his step-sister, Tilly, sets out for answers.
Meanwhile, Alan himself is finally out of coma and has immediately directed his attention towards tracking a nefarious organisation, known as ‘The Combination’. A mysterious yet best-selling self-help book, has been pushing its readers into committing bizarre crimes.
Are this spate of crimes and ‘The Combination’ connected? As the plot thickens by the minute, will this father and son duo get to the bottom of the mystery?
Uniquely crafted
Knightley & Son rides high on a few unexpected factors that work in its favour. The biggest positive of the book is the characterisation of Darkus. Rohan Gavin has created an extremely brilliant protagonist who can rival the likes of ‘Young Sherlock Holmes’ and ‘Artemis Fowl’. Also, Darkus’ unconventional relationship with his dad offers a unique touch as the book comes to life in scenes containing the father and son.
Further, the plot is enterprising and the story is well paced with a good dose of humour that manages to engage its readers till the end.
A sequel?
Perhaps, the only unfavourable aspect is that, apart from Darkus and to an extent, Alan, the rest of the characters are not substantial and rather come off as superficial and insignificant. Besides, readers expecting a serious and intense book should give it a miss as it will be better acknowledged by teenagers and budding readers.
However, if you too enjoya it, there are enough evidences that point to Knightley & Son’s return in a sequel.
Title: Knightley & Son
Author: Rohan Gavin
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Price: Rs. 250
